- June 14, 2020
- Desserts
Easy Keto Smores Bars
Whether its a hot summer night or a cool winter day, there is no reason to pass on these keto friendly and gluten free smore bars! They are easy to make, take a handful of keto friendly ingredients and are low on carbs, making a perfect sugar free smore recipe the whole family will love.
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If you don’t love a god s’more than I think you may need to reevaluate your life. Kidding… kind of! But in all seriousness, there is something completely decadent and also nostalgic about enjoying this classic graham cracker sandwich filled with melted chocolate and of course a gooey toasted marshmallow.
I wanted to recreate this classic summertime dessert (though let’s be honest, these are perfect anytime of the year) in a way that eliminated the need for a bonfire and was something that could easily be a shareable treat for family and friends.
These bars have a super easy to make toasted almond flour and cinnamon crust, are filled with sugar free chocolate bars (or dark chocolate), and topped with sugar free marshmallows. Baked and melted to golden brown perfection so good, that you will even be questioning how these are so keto friendly!
Whether you’re someone focused on eating a keto low carb diet for weight loss or other health conditions or maybe you prefer gluten free recipes for other reasons, I’ve broken down a variety of ways below on how you can easily adapt and make this recipe work for you and your lifestyle.
Because food is more than just fuel (despite what some people say on the internet), food is a way to come together, to socialize, to connect. It doesn’t have to be something that induces stress based on how many calories or carbs that it is! Find a way to make something even like a delicious s’more be more!
All the details for this recipe are below and be sure to always read through for helpful tips and techniques as well. Don’t forget to check out the video tutorial in this post too!
“School” Supplies:
- 9×9 inch pan
- Measuring cups/ spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Foil/ Parchment Paper (optional)
“Class” Notes:
Below, I am breaking down some helpful information regarding the ingredients I used to make these bars, possible substitutions, and how to find what you need to recreate this recipe at home!
Keto Graham Cracker Crust-
I know it is absolutely possible to find gluten free graham crackers in stores now, but I have yet to find a keto friendly or sugar free graham cracker that would work instead. To keep this easy, I wanted to use staple ingredients to recreate a graham cracker crumb style crust for the bars.
The base for this recipe is made from:
- Toasted Almond Flour
- Salt
- Cinnamon (don’t omit, it adds so much to this)
- Xanthan Gum (binding agent)
- Melted Butter
- Egg
What if I have a nut allergy, what can I use instead?
If you are looking to recreate this recipe and you have a nut allergy, you could substitute the almond flour for coconut flour. I would aid toasting the coconut flour however, as it burns much easier and could make the crust bitter. If you find the coconut flour is to dry, add an extra tablespoon of butter if needed.
Can I omit the xanthan gum? What substitutes are there?
I only ever add ingredients to a recipe if I think they are necessary. In my opinion, xanthan gum is necessary to help achieve the proper texture to a lot of gluten free baked goods. That being said, I know not everyone may have it on hand so it is possible to sub with cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Adjust the carb count as needed, but these add minimal carbs across the 16 bar recipe.
Forming the crust:
The crust is easy to make, simply combine the dry ingredients together first and mix well. Add in your melted butter and the egg and mix until it is moist and forms one cohesive mixture. Pat into a greased 9×9 inch pan. For ease, you can also coat the pan in foil (leave the edges handing over the sides) or in parchment paper if you prefer.
Par bake the crust to help it set. I bake mine for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. You can immediately fill with the chocolate bars and the marshmallows and continue to bake until done.
The Chocolate & Marshmallow Filling-
There are plenty of keto, sugar free, and even dairy free chocolate bars or chocolate chips out there on the market these days. I prefer using two larger chocolate bars to make these s’mores bars with because it’s quick and easy and makes the perfect chocolaty layer too.
Some of my favorite low carb chocolate bars are-
- Lilly’s Chocolate Bars/ chips
- Choc Zero Bars / Chips
- Sub with a very dark chocolate bar too
As for the marshmallows, this was a little harder to find as a “clean” keto option. There are a few homemade marshmallow recipes out there on the internet, but I found it was easier to buy what I needed since I’m often getting ingredients online.
There are a few different brands now on Amazon that sell sugar free marshmallows. I used these for this recipe! Be sure to read ingredient labels to find what works for you as some contain malitol (which can sometimes spike blood sugar in some individuals).
I also love this Smash Mallow brand that is made with organic cane sugar (as opposed to corn syrup) and can be an option if you’re only focused on eat a gluten free diet.
Filling and baking-
Place the two chocolate bars next to each other in the pan over the par-baked crust. Add the marshmallows to the top. I find that chopping up larger marshmallows helps reduce to amount needed and spreads them out a little better.
If you find them to be sticky, you can always dip your knife in low carb powdered sweetener or sprinkle it over the marshmallows to help eliminate the excessive stickiness. Once covered, continue to bake until golden brown on the top, about another 10-15 minutes.
The Importance of Cooling and Tips for Cutting-
The bars will come out of the oven and the marshmallow will look very puffy, but will deflate as they rest. I find the bars are best once they have completely cooled and should not be cut until the chocolate bars have reset to room temperature, this takes a decent amount of time. You can cool the bars faster by placing them in the fridge as well.
If you cut them when they are still warm, they will be a very ooey-gooey mess and may loose their bar-like shape. So, I urge you to practice a little patience and let them fully set before digging in.
I cut the bars into 4×4 rows and it yields 16 nice sized bars. Use a large chefs knife to cut through and a serving spatula to remove them from the pan easily. I use the low carb powdered sweetener between each cut on the knife so the marshmallow doesn’t stick and it cuts them evenly and smoothly.
Store the bars in an air tight container for up to seven days. Warm them for 5-10 seconds in the microwave if you want to enjoy them in a melted state. You can also easily freeze these bars and defrost at room temperature to enjoy in the future!
If you love this recipe and want more delicious summertime treats, be sure to check out these recipes too:
Guide To Easy Keto No Churn Ice Cream
Easy Keto Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Easy Keto Smores Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups Almond Flour toasted
- 1/2 cup Low Carb Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1 Egg
- 3 tbsp. Melted Butter
- 12 oz. Sugar Free Marshmallow
- 2 Low carb Chocolate Bars or chips is preferred
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Toast the almond flour in a pan on medium low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden brown. Do not burn!
- 2. In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, low carb brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and xanthan gum together and mix well. Add in the melted butter and the egg and mix until everything is evenly combined and moist. Add this to the bottom of a 9×9 inch pan (greased or use foil/ parchment paper) and press it evenly into the bottom. Bake the crust partially in your preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- 3. Remove from the oven and add the two chocolate bars to the base. Top the mixture with your marshmallows. I prefer to chop the marshmallows up for even coating. If the marshmallows are really sticky, use low carb powdered sweetener on the knife to help prevent this.
- 4. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes. The top should be lightly golden brown and will be puffed up quite a bit. If you want a more "toasted" look, carefully use a blow torch to slightly darken the top and garnish with some chopped low carb chocolate (optional).
- 5. Let the bars fully cool to room temperature before cutting them. The chocolate needs to fully set or it will make a huge mess! Use a knife dipped in low carb powdered sweetener to help prevent sticking. Cut into 16 bars and serve.